The hydraulics industry is primarily associated with technology, power transmission and machinery. But behind the companies there is also a commitment that extends far beyond the workshop floor.
Across Sweden, Norway and Denmark, companies in the industry support sports clubs, education, aid organisations and local projects. In this article series, Fluid Scandinavia wants to highlight some of the good examples.
In each part, we take a closer look at three companies and how they contribute to the communities around them. First up are HydX in Sweden, TESS in Norway and Danfoss in Denmark.
HydX invests in children, young people and education
For Ystad-based HydX, social sustainability is an explicit part of the company’s sustainability work. Every year, the company allocates resources to initiatives for children and young people, combining support for aid organisations with education and local club life.
Among the organisations supported by HydX are the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund, the Swedish Child Diabetes Foundation, Night Walkers, Giving People, Lions and Star for Life. The company also supports several local sports clubs in football, athletics, handball and swimming, among others.
The commitment also has a clear link to technology and the future supply of skills. HydX supports the fourth technical year, T4, at Ystad upper secondary school. The idea is to help provide better educational opportunities for young people who want to continue developing within the field of technology.
The local perspective is clear. The same company that develops advanced solutions in hydraulics, electronics and electrification also helps give children and young people in the local area more opportunities for education and meaningful leisure time.
TESS – NOK 7.3 million for children and young people
In Norway, we find another example of how a company with strong ties to hydraulics and industry can make a difference far beyond its own operations.
TESS is a well-known Norwegian supplier of, among other things, hoses, couplings and services to industry, marine operations and offshore. The connection between the company and the local community in Lier is strong, not least through the Erik Jølberg Foundation.
During 2026, the foundation distributed just over NOK 7.3 million to 33 recipients. Since the distributions began in 2019, a total of more than NOK 35 million has been allocated to local organisations.
Behind the figures are many concrete projects. The largest single initiative in 2026 was NOK 2.3 million for Sylling IF. The money will help create a generations park – a meeting place where children, young people, adults and older people can meet and be active together.
At the same time, Lier IL received NOK 300,000 for new clothing for children and young people in handball, football and e-sports. Other recipients received support for scout activities, youth clubs, playgrounds and activities for young people, among other things.
This shows how an industrial company and its owners can play a significant role in a local community. Here, the support is not about a one-off event but about long-term investments in places and activities where people can meet.
Danfoss founder made local engagement a tradition
In Denmark, we find one of the longest-standing examples of the link between industry and the local community.
Danfoss founder Mads Clausen did not just build a company that would develop into a global industrial group. He also had a strong commitment to the community around Danfoss on Als.
As early as 1960, he established Fabrikant Mads Clausens Fond to organise the support he had given for many years to associations and organisations in the local community. The foundation’s capital originally came from Mads Clausen himself and has later been supplemented through contributions from, among others, Danfoss and Bitten & Mads Clausens Fond.
Today, the foundation supports education and research, sports and leisure, health, culture, and social, humanitarian and environmental organisations, among other things. A large part of its activities is still concentrated in the areas around Danfoss in southern Denmark.
In 2024, 102 different sports and leisure associations received a total of DKK 2.8 million. The projects included support for Sønderborg Floorball Club to purchase adapted wheelchairs so that children with disabilities can take part in the sport. Another project involved creating a new play and outdoor zone.
It is a commitment with deep local roots. Danfoss has grown from its operations on Als into a global industrial group, but the tradition of contributing to the community where the company once began still remains.
Different companies – the same desire to contribute
HydX, TESS and Danfoss differ greatly in both size and history. The forms of their community engagement also look different.
In Ystad, it involves aid organisations, education and local sports clubs, among other things. In Lier, Norway, millions of kroner go to activities and meeting places for children and young people. In Southern Jutland, a tradition of local community engagement lives on more than 60 years after Danfoss’s founder formalised his support through a foundation.
What they share is the understanding that an industrial company is also part of a society.
For the hydraulics industry, sustainability is therefore not only about more energy-efficient systems, reduced emissions or more resource-efficient products. The social dimension is also about the people and places around the companies – about education, community, health and the opportunity for the next generation to develop.
That is the side of the industry that Fluid Scandinavia wants to highlight with the article series The hydraulics industry is making a difference.
In upcoming parts, we will continue looking for good examples from the hydraulics industry in Sweden, Norway and Denmark – large and small – where commitment makes a concrete difference for people and local communities.
Sources: HydX, TESS, Danfoss and Fabrikant Mads Clausens Fond.
